Trunks Saga
The Trunks Saga is the sixth saga of the Dragon Ball Z series. It features Frieza's arrival on Earth, his death by the hands of Future Trunks, and Trunks' warning about the Androids. The small saga contains eight episodes, and is placed between the Garlic Jr. Saga and the Androids Saga. In Japan this saga aired in 1992. It aired in the U.S. in 2000. This is part of US season four, and the middle part of FUNimation Remastered Season Four Box Set and is in the middle of the FUNimation Dragon Ball Z: Dragon Box Volume 3, however it is denounced in the Dragon Box and made a part of the Androids Saga. The final two episodes were Burger King Promotional Episodes in the U.S. The Trunks Saga is the second shortest saga of the series, after the Captain Ginyu Saga. Plot A year and a half after planet Namek's destruction, many of the characters of Dragon Ball Z begin to regain a normal life. They are still waiting for the day when Goku finally returns home. Gohan, who has become worried of when his father will come home, begins to slack off on his studies and his mother hires a private tutor. However, she finds out that tutor is abusive and chases him off after he insults Goku. Meanwhile, Vegeta returns to Earth after failing to find any trace of Goku. Although rude and hostile, he reluctantly accepts Bulma's offer to live at Capsule Corporation since he has no where else to go. Bulma has developed some form of affection for him, but Vegeta does not notice this. Krillin has gotten over his breakup with Maron and resumes his training, as does Piccolo and Tien Shinhan. Unbeknownst to them all, they are once again threatened. This time, Frieza has returned, having survived his fight against Goku on Namek. Frieza has been cybernetically enhanced since much of his body was destroyed when Namek exploded. He is arriving to Earth with his equally diabolical father, King Cold, to exact revenge against Goku and the other Z Fighters for humiliating him by defeating him. Gohan and the others sense Frieza's ki, which is much stronger than when they first fought him. They fly to the Northern Wastelands and wait for him so they can stop the tyrant. Once they gather, Frieza and his father arrive on Earth and Frieza orders his minions to destroy the first Earthlings they find. But before they can, they are killed by a mysterious young fighter, later revealed to be Future Trunks. Trunks tells Frieza that he will be the one to destroy him, but Frieza mocks the warrior and asks how he knows Goku. Trunks does not say how but says that he will show what a Super Saiyan can truly do, which shocks Frieza that this boy is a Super Saiyan as well but thinks he is deceiving him. Trunks transforms into a Super Saiyan and its clear that his power has overcame Frieza's. He is able to dodge and throw back Frieza's Death Ball before slicing Frieza in half with his sword and destroy his remains. King Cold, fearful of Trunks, asks him to join him as Frieza's replacement. Trunks rejects him. King Cold asks for Trunks's sword and tries to kill him with it, but Trunks effortlessly kills him with a single energy blast and destroys the ship. The Z Fighters are shocked that Trunks killed Frieza so easily and that he is a Super Saiyan. Vegeta wonders how he could be a Saiyan due that he, Goku, and Gohan (being a half-breed) are the last Saiyans alive. He tells them that Goku is due to arrive in 3 hours and they wait for him. They try to ask Trunks who he is and where he came from, but Trunks refuses to reveal anything about himself other than he is 17-years-old. Bulma points out to Krillin that Trunks resembles Vegeta. Vegeta gets irritated at Trunks for constantly looking at him. When Goku arrives, Bulma tells him that Trunks killed Frieza and his father, and Piccolo says Trunks transformed into a Super Saiyan. Goku is amazed that Trunks transformed at his young age, but Vegeta reminds him that they and Gohan are the last Saiyans. Trunks asks Goku to talk alone with him. He asks Goku to transform for him, which Goku does, and Trunks attempts to strike him with his sword. He stops halfway and Goku does not react because he sensed no malice in Trunks. Then, Trunks tries several more strikes which Goku stops with his finger. Trunks concludes that Goku is indeed powerful, and Vegeta is angry that Goku and now a stranger he has never seen before have surpassed him. After swearing Goku to secrecy, Trunks introduces himself and that he is from the future 20 years from now. He says that he is actually Half-Saiyan and that Vegeta is his biological father, much to Goku's surprise that Vegeta would have a child, and he will be born 2 years from now. Trunks tells him the real reason he came; he warns him that 3 years from now, on May 12 at 10:00 A.M. near South City, two Red Ribbon Androids will appear and destroy everything on Earth. He reveals that he is the only fighter left; all the Z Fighters will be killed in combat and only Gohan escaped before being killed 13 years later. He tells Goku that he will die from a heart virus that has no cure in the present before the battle, but Goku is upset that he will not be able to fight the androids. Trunks is amazed that Goku wants to stand up to the challenge and that his mother was right about him. Trunks gives him the antidote and says he believes in Goku because he mother told him everything about him. Goku asks who Trunks's mother is and Trunks points her out, revealing her to be Bulma, which makes Goku fall over in disbelief that Bulma and Vegeta would end up together. Trunks explains that Bulma and Yamcha broke up and Bulma eventually falls in love with Vegeta but they never married (this dialogue is changed to "he can never admit that he loves her" in the dub). Trunks does not remember his father, as he was an infant when he was murdered and is happy to meet him. Trunks asks Goku not to tell Bulma nor Vegeta about his identity or else they may not conceive him. Goku promises not to, and after thanking him for everything, Trunks leaves. Piccolo has heard the conversation with his enhanced ears, and tells the story to the others, without revealing anything that could endanger the birth of Trunks. They discuss what do to in the three year before the scheduled fight with the androids. Goku reveals to the group that he narrowly escaped from Namek just seconds before it escaped. He tried to start Frieza's spaceship, but it would not work. He then spotted a spaceship belonging to the Ginyu Force and escaped in it. He ended up landing on the Planet Yardrate, where the creatures living there nursed him back to health and gave him their outfit. He also says that he learned a new technique from them called the Instant Transmission. He shows it by teleporting to Master Roshi's house, stealing his sunglasses, and teleporting back in seconds. Piccolo suggests that they take training seriously this time. Bulma suggests that they use the Dragon Balls to locate Dr. Gero's laboratory and destroy the androids, but Vegeta says that it would be too late by then. Goku decides that they should train their hardest and give all they got when the day comes. Vegeta tells Goku that he will fight the androids too, but once it's over, the two of them will settle the score and leaves. With that, everyone departs and begins training. The remainder of the Trunks arc shows the training that takes place by many of the Z Fighters in order to prepare for the arrival of the Androids. One significant event is the developing relationship between Vegeta and Bulma, even though he tends to shrug off her affection. There is also an ordeal Goku and Piccolo face on Chi-Chi's request: a driving test in order to receive their driver's licenses. However, their inability to acquire a driver's license is the least of their worries when the day of the android invasion comes. It is possible that the movie Dragon Ball Z: Cooler's Revenge takes place between episodes 124 and 125 (even though the movie was released between episodes 99 and 100). Characters Battles Featured *Future Trunks vs. King Cold's soldiers *Future Trunks (Super Saiyan) vs. Mecha Frieza *Future Trunks (Super Saiyan) vs. King Cold *Future Trunks (Super Saiyan) vs Goku (Super Saiyan) (sparring) *Tien vs. Chiaotzu (training) *Goku vs. Piccolo (training) *Goku and Piccolo vs. Gohan (training) Releases FUNimation's Trunks Saga (Available on VHS and DVD) *Trunks - Mysterious Youth (103-105) *Trunks - Prelude To Terror (106-108) *Trunks - Prelude To Terror (106-110) FUNimation's Dragon Ball Z Remastered Season Box Sets (Only available on DVD) *Dragon Ball Z Season Four Remastered Box Set (108-139; only episodes 118-125 are part of the Trunks Saga) FUNimation's Dragon Ball Z: Dragon Box Sets *Dragon Box Z Volume 3 (85-126; this saga was denounced in this release and made a part of the Androids Saga). Madman Entertainment's DVD *Trunks - Z Warriors Prepare (109-110; also including The World of Dragon Ball Z) Burger King Promotional VHS *Trunks - Z Warriors Prepare (109-110) Episode list Note: this is reflective of the English version of the show. Uncut Version (8 Episodes) * 118. Frieza's Counterattack * 119. The Mysterious Youth * 120. Another Super Saiyan? * 121. Welcome Back Goku * 122. Mystery Revealed * 123. Goku's Special Technique * 124. Z Warriors Prepare * 125. Goku's Ordeal Edited Version (8 Episodes) *103. Frieza's Counterattack *104. The Mysterious Youth *105. Another Super Saiyan? *106. Welcome Back Goku *107. Mystery Revealed *108. Goku's Special Technique *109. Z Warriors Prepare *110. Goku's Ordeal Dragon Ball Kai - Japanese (4 Episodes) *55. That's Earth, Papa... Frieza and His Father Strike Back *56. I'll Defeat Freeza! Another Super Saiyan *57. Welcome Back Son Goku! The Confession of the Mysterious Young Boy Trunks *58. New Technique of Goku, Instant Movement! Special Training Staked on 3 Years From Now Dragon Ball Z Kai (4 Episodes) *55. There Is Planet Earth, Father! Frieza and King Cold Strike Back! *56. I Will Defeat Frieza! Another Super Saiyan! *57. Welcome Back, Goku! Confessions of the Mysterious Youth, Trunks! *58. Goku's New Move, Instant Transmission! The Three-Year Training Session Begins! Video Games This saga was adapted in the video games Dragon Ball Z III: Ressen Jinzōningen, Dragon Ball Z: The Legacy of Goku II, and Dragon Ball Z: Harukanaru Densetsu.